Life Restoring Love
by singingswede
Summary: Aragorn is dying and Arwen must find a way to heal him. The title's kind of stiupid, but R&R. Hope you like it!
1. Default Chapter

Okay, this idea's a little over used, but here goes!  
  
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. They all belong to Tolkien. I mean, how could I come up with such amazing characters? I'm only some fourteen year old girl sitting here writing in my living room!  
  
King Elessar of Gondor was riding in the forest one morning with his wife and dearest friend, Arwen, daughter of Elrond. She was with child, and he beamed with pride at her. She was his true love. She had given up her immortal life for him, and he would have done the same for her if he could.  
  
The two monarchs were on their way to Lothlórien to visit Arwen's kin. Elessar had not been to Lórien since his journeys with the Fellowship of the Ring almost a decade ago. He was looking forward to returning to the beautiful land. His friends Legolas Greenleaf and Gimli son of Gloín had insisted on accompanying him and his entourage. Gimli had a known love for the elvish lady Galadriel, (A/N - I know Galadriel left, but I'm going to pretend she didn't for the sake of the story. Why else would Gimli come along?) and he was excited to see her again.  
Elessar, also known as Aragorn, chuckled as he watched his friend the dwarf on a horse. Legolas sat behind him to make sure he didn't fall off. It was good to live these days! Remembering the times of terror and war years ago, Aragorn was grateful for the current peace. Orcs hadn't been seen in the land for over two years and there hadn't been a battle since. Aragorn was glad to have his only work as helping the people of his lands with their daily living and menial arguments. It left more time for his family and friends.  
"What are you thinking, my sweet one?" he asked Arwen, who had been looking out into the forest.  
"What?" she said, swiftly coming out of her daydream.  
Aragorn repeated himself.  
"I was just remembering that this is the spot where I first had the vision of our son," she said, beaming with pride. They both looked happily at her swelled belly.  
"I am glad that you came back," said Aragorn. "I do not know what I would have done without you."  
"And I do not know what I would have done without you," answered his wife tenderly.  
Aragorn leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his love's cheek. But as he reached for her other cheek with his hand, he cried out in pain.  
"Aragorn!" screamed Arwen as he fell out of his saddle. She caught him in her arms. There was an arrow, piercing all the way through his shoulder. She looked down into his face. His eyes were barely open.  
"Arwen, my love," he whispered. She sobbed and screamed for what seemed like hours, although it was only a moment.  
The cries brought the rest of the entourage back quickly.  
"We're being attacked!" cried Legolas. There were goblins coming out of the woods, what seemed like hundreds. The elves and men hurled themselves into battle. They charged the goblins and drove them through with spears and swords until there were none left. They had been weak goblins, and none of Aragorn's company were killed in the battle. The ground was soaked with goblin blood. It was not until the swift battle was over that Legolas noticed Arwen sobbing over the body of Aragorn. He rushed to her side and looked down in fear at the pale face. "Is he alive?" he asked in a quiet voice, full of anxiety. "Surely not," sobbed Arwen, "but I have not checked." Still the elf felt the King's wrist for a pulse. Amazingly, there was a faint flow of blood. Legolas hurriedly hacked at the arrow shaft to remove the feathered end. He gently pulled the arrow out of Aragorn's shoulder, being careful not to make the hole any larger. The arrow had just missed his heart, and the slightest mistake could prove fatal. When this task was done, he called to the others for help. "Elrohir! Elladan!" he cried. "Your brother is wounded! Come quick!" The elf twins had been staying with their foster brother for a while since their father Elrond was busy with business. Now they hurried to his side. They were trained in healing, and it was a thankful thing that they were. Elrohir pulled out the bandages and herbs he always kept with him from his bag and got to work while his twin inspected the arrowhead. "There is poison on it, no doubt," Elladan sighed. "This is a deadly poison that is known to the goblins of the Misty Mountains. If not counteracted immediately, it will certainly prove fatal. But I do not have the herbs to make the antidote. We must ride to Lothlórien with all haste and hope that they possess them." "I have slowed the blood flow," said Elrohir, "but it will not stop and the wound will reopen on the journey, I fear. The loss of blood may be deadly. The arrow has pierced a major vein, and it will take a long while to heal over. For now, I can stitch up the wound hastily. He will need much more care when we arrive in the land of our mother, though." Arwen, her eyes red from weeping, now straightened in her saddle. "Let us make all haste, then," she said. "The people of my mother will be able to heal him, and I shall send for our father. He is the greatest healer in all of Middle Earth." "Arwen," sighed Elrohir, "it will take Father too long to arrive in Lorién. By the time he would arrive, Elessar will be either in no need of his healing or dead. He will be no help." "He will help from Rivendell, then," she insisted. "You know how great his powers are. He can help heal my lord from far away." "If you say so," said Elladan, recognizing the stubbornness his sister had inherited from their father. It would be pointless to disagree with her, even if she was wrong. As soon as Elrohir was done stitching up the wound, Arwen lifted her husband's limp form gently in front of her on her saddle. "Noro lim! Noro lim!" she cried. Her horse galloped forwards, closely followed by the others. They rode for several hours before they came to a waterfall which was the entrance to the land of Lothlórien. They were met by the Lady Galadriel, who looked surprised to see them moving with such speed. She had assumed that they were only coming for a visit. Her granddaughter Arwen rushed towards her. "My lady," the younger elf said breathlessly, "we need your help." 


	2. Anguish

Sorry to leave you hanging! Actually I'm not, but that's OK! : ) R&R PLEASE!!! Enjoy the next chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: All these characters are Tolkien's not mine! I am nowhere near as great a writer as him, so don't expect it to be as good as the original books! Only the plot is mine.  
  
Elves were rushing around everywhere in the lush woods of Lórien. The arrival of a king was a large event in the first place. The arrival of a dying king was an even bigger event, though far more depressing. All the healers in the land had flocked to help care for Elessar. Gandalf was on his way from Rohan, where he had been staying for the last year at the court of Éomer. (A/N - I know Gandalf left too, but who cares?) Aragorn was barely holding on to life. The elves of Lórien did not have the herbs needed to make the antidote. The fastest horses had been sent out to retrieve them, but it would take at least two days for them to return. No one could tell for sure if Aragorn would live that long, but the odds weren't in his favor. He grew worse by the hour. His breathing was shallow and he burned with a fever induced by the poison. He lay on his bed in the deepest state of unconsciousness. He heard, saw, and felt nothing. This somewhat comforted Arwen. She knew that he didn't feel the pain. If he recovered, he would have no memory of this time. Elrond's sons had reached for him through the bonds they shared. They had assured the healers that their father was trying to help, but Aragorn didn't seem to get better. "If Elrond were not helping to heal him, he would be dead by now!" Elrohir told a frustrated healer. "The poison is very powerful. My father is all the way in Rivendell. He cannot fully heal him from that distance. The King will continue to worsen until the antidote is made. He will still be in danger then. The antidote is his only hope." Arwen, who had been listening to this conversation, looked at her husband's pale face in grief. It had only been two days ago that they had talked about their child and their future together. Now it seemed as if all that was a dream. He lay there, looking like death. She wondered if he would live to see their unborn child. A single tear fell from her eyes. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Legolas Greenleaf. "You haven't slept in two days," he said, looking at her anguished face with pity. "You need to get some rest. You know that someone will get you if anything changes. Eat and sleep." "Thank you for the thought," she replied, "but I need to be here for him. I want to be here if.if." "I know," said the tall elf gently. "You don't have to say it. I know." The two sat in silence for a while, staring at the face of Aragorn and wondering whether he would live or not before Arwen broke the silence. "You know, my child is due this week. We know it is a son. We are going to name him Eldarion. He was so excited to have a son to teach and play with." "You need to take good care of the child," said Legolas. "You may not want to eat, but I am sure your baby does. I will bring you some food." The elf left, leaving Aragorn with Arwen and the healers. Arwen sat in thought for a while. If he ever woke, it would be to a new son and a happy family. If he didn't, her son would have the burden of being King of Gondor from birth. She knew that Aragorn would not want to place that burden on their son. "You must live," she whispered. "If not for yourself, then for your son. Eldarion needs a father."  
  
So, how'd you like it? Think I should change the title? I do. It's really pathetic, isn't it? Tell me in a review if you have any ideas. Thanx! More coming soon! 


	3. Blooming Hope

Thanx for the reviews! Please give me more feedback. If I'm a horrible writer, tell me so, so I won't pester you with my horribleness anymore! R&R Pleez!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: These characters are all Tolkien's, not mine. (I wish they were mine, though!)  
  
It had been three days since Aragorn had first fallen. The riders had still not returned with the needed herbs and it looked as if he wouldn't make it through the night. Arwen sat at his bedside, wiping his fevered forehead with a cool cloth and speaking words of comfort to him, even though she knew he could not hear. She despaired at the thought of losing her husband at the same time she gained a son. Things like this seemed to happen a lot. As soon as one member of a family died, another was born. She did not wish for this to happen in her family.  
Aragorn gave a small shudder. Arwen knew that the poison was in his veins and causing him to do this. She cursed the goblins who had done this to him. He was wrapped in blankets and sweating, but the poison wouldn't come out of his veins. The healers had been giving him a lot of water, trying to wash the poison out of his system, but it didn't seem to work. It seemed as if the poison was finding places to hide in his body. He just got worse and worse.  
Arwen felt the baby kick in her womb. Aragorn used to laugh at this, saying that his son was a born fighter. He would be the mightiest warrior in all of Middle Earth, he would say. Now he did not even know that she was there with him. She reached out for his hand, which was burning like the rest of his body.  
"When will the riders return?" she asked anxiously to the nearest healer. "It has been two days already. They said that's how long it would take. Why do they not make haste? Do they not realize that my love is dying?"  
"Be patient my lady," he replied. "It is a rare herb. Perhaps it has taken long to find. We cannot speed their arrival by agonizing over it. We can only wait and heal what we can." The healer went back to washing Aragorn's wound with hot water and athelas leaves.  
Arwen contemplated this in silence for a moment. Then a thought cam upon her. Perhaps the riders could not find the herb because they were looking too far away. Perhaps it was right under their noses.  
"What does this herb look like?" she inquired to the healer. He looked up from his work, surprised.  
"Why, it is a simple plant. It has three leaves and is a pale pink color. It is called the love flower because it looks like a heart," he replied. "Why do you ask?"  
Arwen did not answer, but hurried out of the room.  
  
When she had left the infirmary where Aragorn was, Arwen hurried to a spot she had found when she was younger and living in Lórien with her mother's kin. It was a secluded little spot near the waterfall that she had never told anyone about. She would go there often when she wanted time to herself, to think and simply be alone. It was a peaceful little spot, and she had never told anyone about it. She remembered the beautiful flowers that grew there, each one unique.  
When she reached the stone she used to sit on, she hurriedly looked around the back. Just as she remembered, there was a small patch of beautiful, heart shaped, pink flowers growing on the rock's edge. She grabbed a handful and ran back to the infirmary as fast as she could.  
  
The healer who had seen Arwen leave was confused and a bit worried about the Queen, but he had more important matters at hand. He had been working on the King, trying to bring down his fever, for only a few minutes when the lady burst into the room again. She thrust something into his hands and was too breathless to speak for a moment.  
"I have found the love flower!" she cried when she had her breath back. "Look in your hand!"  
The healer looked and was amazed to find that he was holding the precious herb in his hand.  
"Take this to the chief healer!" he exclaimed. "He is resting next door. Tell him to hurry!"  
He gave her back the small plants and she rushed out of the room to see the other healer. 


	4. New Life

Sorry I haven't updated in a while! I'm in a musical and I have rehearsal three hours a day, six days a week. PLUS I have all my schoolwork! Hectic life!  
Anyways, R&R PLEASE!!!! I need input! If you can't stand to read it, tell me so I can get my sorry butt off the Internet! I really don't mind flames!  
Without further ado.  
  
Arwen entered the tent set up for the chief healer to rest in at a run. She quickly explained that she had the love flower. The man grabbed the herb from her hand and inspected it, making sure that it was the real thing.  
"Boil a pot of water," he commanded a boy who was standing nearby. The boy obeyed, running out to fetch a kettle and water.  
The man began to gather other supplies wordlessly. Arwen watched for a while, keeping her mouth shut, but the silence became unbearable.  
"My husband will be fine, then?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but the worry in her voice betrayed her.  
The healer looked at her with kind, sympathetic eyes. "I do not know," he said. "The antidote takes several hours to brew. We will work hard, but I don't know if he'll make it till then. Even after we give him the antidote, the poison has been in his blood for so long that he will still be in danger. We shall see what comes of this in time. For now, we just need to keep him alive for a few more hours. You should get some sleep. You will need your strength for childbirth later this week."  
The idea of resting in the hours that would determine whether or not her husband lived seemed absurd to Arwen. When she entered the infirmary, a cot had been set up for her near Aragorn's bed. She lay in it to please them, but she could not go to sleep. Not with so much at stake. She pretended to sleep, but kept one eye partially open, looking upon the face of her husband and ready to jump up if there was any . change.  
She stayed like this for a while before she felt a sharp pain in her belly. She let out a sharp cry and the healing tending Aragorn spun around.  
"What is it, my lady?" he asked anxiously.  
"The baby!" she cried. "I am in labor!" She lay back and started breathing quickly.  
The healer started to go to her side to assist her, but she grabbed his arm and stopped him.  
"You must look after your king," she said. "I can handle this until someone else comes. Just don't let anything happen to my husband! His cure is almost ready!"  
The healer looked at her grave face uncertainly for a moment before turning around to obey her.  
Arwen was in great pain, but she knew she must not cry out for risk of upsetting the healer trying to keep her husband alive. Another healer would come to relieve this one in a little while and she would send for a midwife. In the meantime, she must bear the pain.  
After about an hour, another man entered the room.  
"Send for a midwife," said Arwen, struggling to keep her breath even. "The baby is come!"  
The man left the room swiftly. Several minutes later, he returned, followed by a woman in long white robes. She hurried to assist the distressed elf.  
Husband and wife lay in the room, both sweating from exhaustion from their individual fights. It hurt Arwen to know that her husband didn't know that his child was about to be born. She pondered over this in the time between her contractions, but soon she was forced to give all her concentration over to the birthing of her son.  
"Eldarion," she whispered as she pushed with all her might. "Come and see your parents."  
Before it is too late, she added as a grim afterthought. 


End file.
